Inappropriate interview questions

[GeddyLee]

I'm a fourth year med student. I would like to hear from you guys about any inappropriate questions or comments that you've heard on the med school interview trail. I've been talking to other med students and have been appalled so far...

I'll start with a few that I've heard about...

(to a female applicant)....When are you going to get married and have babies?

How much money do your parents make?

"I think you should start looking for a job because I don't think you'll make it into med school."

I hope you guys reply to this thread....I'm very interested in this topic. These kinds of questions and comments are unprofessional, biased, and simply would not be tolerated by any company. Med school admission committees seem to take great liberty in making comments or asking questions that imply prejudicial bias or demoralize the candidate.

Please just post the comment or question, and what you think about it....no need to name the institution or individual.

Thanks guys! And good luck with your upcoming interviews.

Geddy

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[XCanadianRagwee]

a friend of mine was asked her stance on abortion. (Ummm...how does knowing her stance affect her admission)

I also don't like the where else are you applying to question. That's no one's business, besides i seriously doubt there are people that apply to just one top tier school.

I also don't like the where are you accepted question. Just leave it at that. To answer though I say I wouldn't be interviewing here today if that school was my top choice.

 

[ATPase]

At my first interview, the faculty interviewer was an older man (late 70s) whose first comment to me was, "So why does a pretty girl like you want to go to medical school?"

It was extremely patronizing, to say the least.

Also just found out today that I was wait-listed at this particular school.

 

[h2cooper]

I second the thought about disliking the "Where else have you applied" question. I just think its kinda inappropriate, but apparantly its pretty popular!

 

[NotShorty]

search for the thread "most bizzare interview moments"

incredibly fascinating, although it may not DIRECTLY answer your question.


On the topic of inappropriate questions, does anyone have any thoughts on whether it is appropriate to say "phuck off, none of your business" (in prettier words).

I think it would show back bone, and earn respect. Hell, what do I know? Opinions?

-NS

 

[iknowican]

I had an interviewer that was fixated on my race. He asked why I didnt have an accent and proceeded to tell me about the people he knew that were the same race as me. Like I give a crap about that. I found it kind of offensive.

 

[Robz]

first off I don't think there is an "inappropriate" question. Somepeople want to get a rise out of you to see what makes you tick. With that being said here are some of the highlights of my interview season.

What makes you think you can cut it in medical school? (standard but I think this guy meant it)

As a nonminority don't you think it would be tougher to get into medical school then if you were?

Do you think that the MCAT is a fair and just future evaluation of USMLE scores? (The interviewer had just gone off on how certain applicants with less than a 8 average MCAT were lazy and couldn't cut the work....oy)

Not inappropriate but fun:

After being explained by a pathology interviewer that medical school is extensively hard to get into he asked what I thought my chances were for getting in and if I didn't what would I do. When I explained I already had an acceptance to another school he changed his tune to starting to talk up the school to me. That amused me.

 

[link26]

aren't good looks a plus?

I think fine girls have an advantage here. Don't be offended by this notion.


Anyway, when i was in high school, one of my friends interviewed for college and was asked:

"do you masturbate?"

 

[indo]

Originally posted by Moose1


my sister (very attractive) was bombarded with questions like "Do you have a boyfriend? what does he do? what is going to happen to you both if you go to location x and he stays at location y?" after relaying this to my parents they encouraged her to contact the admissions office. it took her 4 months to tell them and the admissions director told her that she really wished that she had told her earlier because that sort of behavior is unacceptable.

Maybe he was testing her to find out how long before she would actually stick up for herself and tell him that his questions were not appropriate and the answers to those questions were private.

did i spell appropriate right? I swear, spell check is killin' me.

 

[cmudan]

I recently attended an interview workshop put on by a PhD in I/O Psych. He explained that any question relating to marital status, financial status (can you afford med school, how much do your parents make, etc..) and others were inappropriate. When asked these questions that are illegal, you can either respond (which is not illegal) if you feel comfortable, or you can say "what exactly are you trying to get from asking this question?" Most older docs that interview are from a generation where in order to develop a relationship with a person, background matters. They try to get to know you by getting to know your history and parents. Sometimes they don't mean anything by it, but sometimes they know exactly what they're asking.

If you report it at once to the dean, often times you can reschedule another interview right away.

Hope this helps,
Cmudan

 

[Runtita]

You can always say, "That is not an issue" or "That is not relevant to my future performance."

At one job interview I was asked if I would ignore my duties to work in my husband's lab (he happened to work there). Apparently, the previous person in the position had done this. At the same interview, I was asked (by the same a-hole) what I would do with my child if I had to be to work early. My response was that these were not relevant issues to my job performance. I reported the a-hole to his chair.

I got offered the job, btw. I turned it down.

My point here is to have a backbone and stand up for yourselves. Don't let anyone intimidate you. Be a person of principles and you won't regret it.

 

[DrWuStar]

Originally posted by link26
aren't good looks a plus?

I think fine girls have an advantage here. Don't be offended by this notion.

i think this depends on who the interviewer is. if the interviewer is say, a fourth year male med student, being a hot young female could work to one's advantage. on the other hand, pretty girls get hated on a lot by less pretty girls/women. in particular, a lot of successful older female MDs or PhDs have had to sacrifice A LOT in terms of family life, acting in ways that are considered girly or revealing girly sides of their personality, etc. these women can be really hard on young women who they feel have it easy. add pretty, stylish, or too charming into that equation and i think you are likely to get rejection. sad but true.

"and god help you if you are an ugly girl
course too pretty is also your doom
cause everyone harbors a secret hatred
for the prettiest girl in the room"

---Ani Difranco, "32 Flavors"

 

[OrthoFixation]

Originally posted by ATPase
At my first interview, the faculty interviewer was an older man (late 70s) whose first comment to me was, "So why does a pretty girl like you want to go to medical school?"

It was extremely patronizing, to say the least.

Also just found out today that I was wait-listed at this particular school.

Well, I suppose it would depend on the tone and whether he was coming on to you. Otherwise, it was a compliment. Don't get your panties in a wad. It's just small talk. Would you be OK with "girl?" What about "person?" I guess if short or tall was inserted instead, you would still be offended?

I have told many a girl that she was pretty. Some were outwardly pretty, but all had inner beauty.

 

[ForensicPath]

"Can I see your penis?"

So I unzipped and flomped it out. Then I swung it around like a lasso until it hit my interviewer in the face. He said "ouch," so I put it away. I think the interview went well.